Black Excited About Revamped Secondary

Saturday

Aug 3, 2013 at 11:49 PM

When the Tampa Bay Bucs have their team meetings, safety Ahmad Black tends to find himself sandwiched between two of his most high-profile teammates — cornerback Darrelle Revis and safety Dashon Goldson.

By BRADY FREDERICKSENTHE LEDGER

TAMPA | When the Tampa Bay Bucs have their team meetings, safety Ahmad Black tends to find himself sandwiched between two of his most high-profile teammates — cornerback Darrelle Revis and safety Dashon Goldson.Whether that's by design or not, the former Lakeland High and Florida standout has embraced the opportunity to work daily with a pair of Pro Bowl teammates. Being a part of the Bucs' revamped secondary hasn't been a bad thing, either."It's great just sitting in the back of the meeting room and seeing the guys that I've got all around me," Black said. "I got Revis next to me, Goldson sitting in front of me … all of us teach off each other and just go and try to be closest group we got out here."Entering his third season in the NFL and with the team, Black has settled into his role as the team's No. 3 safety, serving as a part of the Bucs' nickel defense. But even with Goldson and second-year safety Mark Barron ahead of him on the depth chart, Black's work in practice doesn't go unnoticed."Yeah, you say he might not be the biggest safety, but he's very explosive," safeties coach Jeff Hafley said. "When you watch him hit, whether it's to force a run on a pulling guard or come up and make a tackle, you'll always see him explode into people. He's explosive, instinctive. He goes out here, he works hard every single day, loves to practice and he's really doing a nice job."Hafley noted Blacks' instincts — his ability to be around the football — and that's a valuable trait on game day. What may be more valuable is Black's eagerness to learn on the practice field, something teammates respect."Ahmad is a good football player," Goldson said. "He's smart. He's learning a lot. He asks questions. That's showing he really wants to learn. That's a good thing. And he gets it. He (is) starting to understand the game of football. I know he's young, but at the same time he's coming along."Last season's much-maligned secondary — one that allowed a league-worst 4,758 yards — lost mainstay Ronde Barber, whom Black worked with last season as safeties. Now, having had time around Barber and, at least initially, Revis and Goldson, Black wants to be a leader who can pass that knowledge along to younger teammates."It's my third camp right here, so just going about it as being professional," he said. "We've got some older guys in here that can help us out with that. I'm kind of like in the middle — I'm not a young guy, and I'm not an old guy yet — so I kind of teach the younger guys what the older guys have taught me." Black is all smiles as training camp moves along, but as Thursday's preseason opener creeps closer, his goal is simple."Just getting better, every day I come out here and get better," Black said. "You either get better or you get worse, you never stay the same. My goal is to just get better every time and work with the guys I've got around me, and go win our division and maybe a Super Bowl."